Know your Farmer - Mohamed Abukar

Each week we profile one of the CSA farmers who grows your food. You can also get to know your farmer by visiting him or her at a farm stand or farmer's market, or by visiting our farm sites during a monthly Friday Farm Tour event (There's one this week! See below for details).

This week your featured farmer is Mohamed Abukar. Mohamed provides CSA shares for staff at Bates College. He also provides CSAs and produce at the South Portland Farmers' Market and the Bath Farmers' Market.

In addition to selling at farmers' markets and through the CSA, Mohamed sells large quantities of wholesale produce to four area food pantries. He also pools his produce with other Fresh Start Farms growers to provide wholesale quantities of vegetables for schools, summer camps, specialty markets, restaurants, food pantries, and larger distributors.

From Mohamed - I am from Somalia originally and came to Maine in 2004 from a refugee camp in Kenya, where I spent 12 years. I joined Fresh Start Farms in 2007. 

Farming is something I have been doing my whole life. While there are differences in how I farm here, I brought the knowledge and experience to become a successful farmer and I apply them here in Maine.

I continue to learn what my customers want and need. I love when my customers tell me what they like so I can grow these things for them.

In the future I would like to grow my business, have animals and be able to sell meat and eggs but my future is God’s will.

I have chosen to be a farmer here and if I were somewhere else, I would still be farming. As a farmer I know I will always have fresh food. 

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Monthly farm visits for CSA members and volunteers:

THIS Friday, October 3 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon 

RSVP with Ashley if you would like to attend: fsf@cultivatingcommunity.org & (207) 761-GROW.

Know Your Farmer - Batula Ismail

Photo by Greta Rybus

Each week we profile one of the CSA farmers who grows your food. You can also get to know your farmer by visiting him or her at a farm stand or farmer's market, or by visiting our farm sites during a monthly Friday Farm Tour event (There's one this week! See below for details).

This week your featured farmer is Batula Ismail. Batula provides CSA shares for staff at Maine Health, Avesta Housing, and the Portland YMCA. She also provides CSAs at both the Kennebunk Farmers' Market, the Damariscotta Farmers' Market and at her daughter's farm stand at Whole Foods on Monday afternoons from 1:00p - 5:00p. For more information about our farm stands, click here.

In addition to selling at farm stands and through the CSA, Batula pools her produce with other Fresh Start Farms growers to provide wholesale quantities of vegetables for schools, summer camps, specialty markets, restaurants, food pantries, and larger distributors.

From Batula - I am from Somalia and came to Maine in 2005. I joined Fresh Start Farms in that same year. I am one of the three original Somali women who began farming in Lisbon and I have continued to support others in joining Fresh Start Farms, including my daughter, Asli. While my children are receiving an education and speak English, I believe it’s important for them to help out on the farm and learn this work because farming is the future. 

I learned much of my agricultural skills in Somalia, but I continue to learn because farming practices here in Maine are quite different and often more challenging and more involved than in Somalia. 

I dream about someday owning my own farm and land where my children and grandchildren can live and be safe, happy, and nourished. In addition to vegetables, I would also have animals, which were an important part of my life before moving to this country. 

My favorite part of my farming business is the community. I love being part of the community, working with the public, and having a role in the local economy. 

I would like to thank all of my customers (especially those who buy CSA shares) and all of the people in the state who support local farms. We have a good local food system and I’m glad to be a part of it. 

Photo by Greta Rybus

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Monthly farm visits for CSA members and volunteers:

THIS FRIDAY, September 26 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon (Please note updated time)

Friday, October 3 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon 

RSVP with Ashley if you would like to attend: fsf@cultivatingcommunity.org & (207) 761-GROW.

 ***

Know Your Farmer - Khadija Hilowle

Each week we profile one of the seven CSA farmers who grows your food. You can also get to know your farmer by visiting him or her at a farm stand or farmer's market, or by visiting our farm sites during a monthly Friday Farm Tour event (see below for details).

This week your featured farmer is Khadija Hilowle. Khadija provides CSA shares and sells her produce in Portland at her farm stand in the West End, located at the Reiche School playground every Friday from 2:30 - 5:30 (want to know more about our farm stands open to the public? Click here). Khadija sets up a farm stand at Geiger for employees on Thursdays. You can also find Khadija at Lewiston's Bates Mill Farmers' Market on Sundays (click here for more information about this farmers' market).

In addition to selling at farm stands and through the CSA, Khadija pools her produce with other Fresh Start Farms growers to provide wholesale quantities of vegetables for schools, summer camps, specialty markets, restaurants, food pantries, and larger distributors.

From Khadija - I am a refugee. Originally I came from Somalia where for generations, my family worked on farms. I have been in Maine since 2005 and a grower with Fresh Start Farms since 2007.

I continue to learn English and also to make quick change at farmers’ markets but this has been a challenging part of my work as a farmer here. Nothing is easy but I’m learning these skills to be able to better communicate with customers and offer customer service that is expected here. I want my customers to know that I enthusiastically welcome them to Fresh Start Farm.

I know this work is important. When you buy from me, you know the food is fresh and has no chemicals. You see and taste that when you compare the grocery store to the farmers market. If you come to my farm you will see it is neat and the rows are straight and organized.

I dream of having animals—to care for them and raise them just like my family did in Somalia. This will be hard here though because to have animals I will need a home in the countryside and I currently live in Lewiston. It would be a challenge to be outside of my community in Lewiston. The language barrier is tough and I am scared to be far away from the people I know and rely on.

I also expect and rely on my children for help at the farm, especially as I get older and am less able to do things on my own. There is no question that I will teach my children farming as if this was Somalia. It’s important to me that we grow and eat fresh vegetables without any chemical sprays, just like in Somalia

Carrots, kale, mustard greens, okra, beans, beets …these are all new vegetables that I find delicious and that I grow for my family and my customers here in Maine. That said, there are vegetables from Somalia I wish I could grow here but these require a longer and hotter season.

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Monthly farm visits for CSA members and volunteers:
Friday, September 26 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon (Please note updated time)
Friday, October 3 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon 

RSVP with Ashley if you would like to attend: fsf@cultivatingcommunity.org & (207) 761-GROW

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Know Your Farmer - Christine Pompeo

Each week we'll profile one of the seven CSA farmers who grows your food. You can also get to know your farmer by visiting him or her at a farm stand or farmer's market, or by visiting our farm sites during a monthly Friday Farm Tour event (see below for details).

This week your farmer is Christine Pompeo. Christine provides CSA shares and sells her produce at the Portland Farmers' Market in Deering Oaks Park on Saturdays (want to know more about Portland's farmers' markets? Click here).

Christine also pools her produce with other Fresh Start Farms growers to provide wholesale quantities of vegetables for Cultivating Community's Grow Cart--a bike-powered mobile farm stand. The Grow Cart stations our farm stands on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Find our farm stand schedule here.

From Christine -
I came to Maine in 2005 from South Sudan. I joined Fresh Start Farms in 2007.

I was a farmer in Sudan but am still learning how to adapt my skills to Maine where the season is shorter and the climate is entirely different. Some of my farming practices have stayed the same. Everything on my farm here is done by hand as I did before in Sudan.

My favorite part about farming is watching my vegetables sprout and grow and then being able to bring these to my customers.

My philosophy is this: “Try anything that you haven’t tried before. Nothing is impossible. Put your interest into something and you will get results.” 

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Monthly farm visits for CSA members and volunteers:
Friday, September 26 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon (Please note updated time)
Friday, October 3 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon 

RSVP with Ashley if you would like to attend: fsf@cultivatingcommunity.org & (207) 761-GROW

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September cooking tips

What to do with:

Tons of veggies and herbs -
One quick and easy meal to use up many different veggies (lettuces and greens, summer squash, carrots, beets, celery, kohlrabi, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.) and herbs (mint, cilantro, and basil are particularly good), is to make spring rolls. 

This is what spring roll wrappers
look like at the store

You can find the wrappers cheaply at an Asian market or even at Hannafords. They are large, circular noodles (see image). I chop up a wide variety of raw veggies and herbs to roll in. This makes a quick and easy meal and from my experience, always goes over well (even with kids).

I make a peanut sauce for my spirng rolls by mixing two heaping tablespoons of peanut butter with 1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1/8 cup soy sauce (or Bragg's liquid aminos), minced garlic and some olive oil (as much as you want for desired consistency).

Tomatillos, (other than salsa fresca) -  I found the following that looked like a good starting point for thinking outside the tomatillo salsa box: http://www.thekitchn.com/what-can-i-make-with-tomatillos-besides-green-sauce-good-questions-196448.

Leeks (other than potato leek soup) - These ideas are a great starting point for getting inspired with your leeks. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/01/leek-recipes-10-best

Fresh Start grower in the Portland Press Herald

Check out this great article about Alfred Matiyabo, one of Fresh Start Farms growers at our South Portland site! http://www.pressherald.com/2014/08/31/farmer-grows-familiar-foods-for-maines-african-refugees/

Matiyabo mows an area he is preparing to plant amaranth. He is framed through the leaves of African eggplant he is growing. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer (Portland Press Herald)

African eggplant growing on land in South Portland that is being farmed by Matiyabo.Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer (Portland Press Herald)

Know your farmer - Habiba Noor

Each week we'll profile one of the seven CSA farmers who grows your food. You can also get to know your farmer by visiting him or her at a farm stand or farmer's market, or by visiting our farm sites during a monthly Friday Farm Tour event (see below for details).

This week your farmer is Habiba Noor. Habiba provides CSA shares and sells her produce at the Whole Foods Farm Stand in Portland and the Red Bank Farm Stand in South Portland (want to know more about our farm stands? click here). Habiba also pools her produce with other Fresh Start Farms growers to provide wholesale quantities of vegetables for schools, summer camps, specialty markets, restaurants, food pantries, and larger distributors.

Habiba Noor - I am from Somalia, specifically the area of Baidoa in a place called Aw-Dinle. I moved to Maine in 2008 and joined Fresh Start Farms that same year.

My family raised cows, goats, camels and chickens in our village. We also had a big camel that we used for transportation.

As a refugee, all of our animals died during our journey to Kakuma refugee camp, where we lived for two years before coming to Dallas, Texas.

When I was in Texas, I called Jabril Abdi, who lived in Maine and had already joined Fresh Start Farms. Jabril and I are from the same place in Somalia and we were both at Kakuma. As soon as he told me that he was working on the farm, I wanted to be there working on the farm.

Whether or not I make money, farming is a part of my life. Keeping this tradition is important because my parents and grandparents were farmers and I am keeping their memory with this work. This is why I farm.

In the future, if I live long enough to enter my future, I want to buy a house and farm. My kids are interested in learning to farm too but I don’t know if they will be farmers. I advise my kids that in the future, they need to work together as a united group. If they do that, they will succeed in achieving what they want.

***

Monthly farm visits for CSA members and volunteers:
Friday, September 26 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon (Please note updated time)
Friday, October 3 from 12:00p – 2:00p in Lisbon

RSVP with Ashley if you would like to attend: fsf@cultivatingcommunity.org & (207) 761-GROW